second gear

Từ điển Oxford Advanced Learner 8th

sec·ond 1 [second seconds seconded seconding] determiner, ordinal number, adverb, noun, verb BrE [ˈsekənd] NAmE [ˈsekənd]
see also ↑second ²
determiner, ordinal number
1. happening or coming next after the first in a series of similar things or people; 2nd
• This is the second time it's happened.
• Italy scored a second goal just after half-time.
•the second of June/June 2nd
•He was the second to arrive.
•We have one child and are expecting our second in July.
2. next in order of importance, size, quality, etc. to one other person or thing
• Osaka is Japan's second-largest city.
•Birmingham, the UK's second city
• The spreadsheet application is second only to word processing in terms of popularity.
•As a dancer, he is second to none (= nobody is a better dancer than he is).
3. only before noun another; in addition to one that you already own or use
• They have a second home in Tuscany.
•teachers of English as a second language (= to people who already speak one or more other languages)

Word Origin:
early 19th cent. French en second ‘in the second rank (of officers)’
 
adverb
1. after one other person or thing in order or importance
• She came second in the marathon.
•One of the smaller parties came a close second (= nearly won).
• I agreed to speak second.
•He is a writer first and a scientist second.
•I came second (to) last (= the one before the last one) in the race.
2. used to introduce the second of a list of points you want to make in a speech or piece of writing
Syn: ↑secondly
• She did it first because she wanted to, and second because I asked her to.

Word Origin:
early 19th cent. French en second ‘in the second rank (of officers)’

Language Bank:
first
Ordering your points
▪ This study has the following ▪ aims: first ▪, to investigate how international students in the UK use humour; second ▪, to examine how jokes can help to establish social relationships; and, third ▪, to explore the role that humour plays in helping overseas students adjust to life in the UK.
Let us begin by ▪ identifying some of the popular joke genres in the UK.
Next, let us turn to ▪ / Next, let us consider ▪ the question of gender differences in the use of humour.
Finally ▪ / Lastly ▪, let us briefly examine the role of humour in defining a nation's culture.
notes at ↑firstly, ↑lastly
Language Banks at ↑conclusion, ↑process

Language Bank:
process
Describing a process
▪ This diagram illustrates the process of ▪ paper-making. / This diagram shows how ▪ paper is made.
First ▪ / First of all ▪, logs are delivered to a paper mill, where the bark is removed and the wood is cut into small chips.
Next ▪ / Second ▪, the wood chips are pulped, either using chemicals or in a pulping machine.
▪ Pulping breaks down the internal structure of the wood and enables ▪ / allows ▪ the natural oils to ▪ be removed.
Once ▪ / After ▪ the wood has been pulped, the pulp is bleached in order to ▪ remove impurities. /…is bleached so that ▪ impurities can ▪ be removed.
The next stage is to ▪ feed the pulp into the paper machine, where it is mixed with water and then ▪ poured onto a wire conveyor belt.
As ▪ the pulp travels along the conveyor belt, the water drains away. This causes ▪ the solid material to ▪ sink to the bottom, forming a layer of paper.
At this point ▪ the new paper is still wet, so ▪ it is passed between large heated rollers, which press out the remaining water and simultaneously ▪ dry the paper. / …dry the paper at the same time ▪.
The final stage is to ▪ wind the paper onto large rolls. / Finally ▪, the paper is wound onto large rolls.
notes at ↑firstly, ↑lastly
Language Banks at ↑conclusion, ↑first
 
noun
1. countable (symb. ″) (abbr.sec.)a unit for measuring time. There are 60 seconds in one minute
• She can run 100 metres in just over 11 seconds.
•For several seconds he did not reply.
•The light flashes every 5 seconds.
•The water flows at about 1.5 metres per second.
2. countable (also informal sec)a very short time
Syn: ↑moment
• I'll be with you in a second.
•They had finished in/within seconds.
• He scored again in the dying seconds (= the last few seconds) of the game.
see also ↑split second
3. countable (symb. ″)a unit for measuring angles. There are 60 seconds in one minute
•1° 6′ 10″ (= one degree, six minutes and ten seconds)
4. secondsplural (informal)a second amount of the same food that you have just eaten
•Seconds, anybody?
5. countable, usually plural an item that is sold at a lower price than usual because it is not perfect
6. (also ˌsecond ˈgear)uncountable one of four or five positions of the gears in a vehicle
•When it's icy, move off in second.
•to change down from third to second
7. countable a level of university degree at British universities. An upper second is a good degree and a lower second is average.
compare ↑first _n. (⁴), ↑third _n. (²)
8. countable a person whose role is to help and support sb else, for example in a ↑boxing match or in a formal ↑duel in the past
see just a minute/moment/second at ↑just _adv., wait a minute/moment/second at ↑wait _v.

Word Origin:
early 19th cent. French en second ‘in the second rank (of officers)’

Thesaurus:
second noun C
•She can run 100 metres in 12 seconds.
•Hang on a second while I find my keys.
moment • • minute • • instant • • split second • |especially BrE, informal bit • |informal, spoken sec •
in/for a/an second/moment/minute/instant/split second/bit/sec
at/from that second/moment/minute/instant
hang on/hold on/wait a second/moment/minute/sec
Second, moment or minute? In many cases you can use any of these words
•Wait/Hang on/Just a second/moment/minute.
Minute is the most frequent in spoken English; it is more usual to use moment in written English, especially when telling a story.

Example Bank:
•For a heart-stopping second he thought he had lost his keys.
•For a second I thought you were my mother.
•He got a good second in history.
•His goal in the dying seconds of the game secured Rangers a 3–2 victory.
•I hesitated for a second before speaking.
•I only saw the man for a split second as he ran past.
•I swam to the other shore in mere seconds.
•I was counting the seconds until the bell.
•I'll be with you in a second.
•If he'd reacted a fraction of a second later, he would surely have died.
•It took a couple of seconds to realize what was going on.
•She had wasted a few precious seconds.
•She wanted to spend every second with him.
•Sunny Boy came a close second to the winner.
•The end of the game is only a matter of seconds away.
•The game was lost in the final seconds.
•The room seemed to grow hotter with each passing second.
•The seconds ticked by.
•The young German runner finished a creditable second.
•This will only take a second.
•Wait a second— this letter's been sent to me by mistake.
•We only have a few seconds left.
•We were three points behind with only seconds left in the game.
•Within seconds he had disappeared from view.
•For several seconds he did not reply.
•Hang on a second while I find my keys.
•I'll be finished with this in a couple of seconds.
•The light flashes every 5 seconds.
•The water flows at about 1.5 metres per second.
•They had finished in/within seconds.
•Wait/Hang on/Just a minute/moment/second.

 
verb ~ sth
to state officially at a meeting that you support another person's idea, suggestion, etc. so that it can be discussed and/or voted on
• Any proposal must be seconded by two other members of the committee.
• (informal) ‘Thank God that's finished.’ ‘I'll second that! (= I agree) ’
compare ↑propose
Verb forms:

Example Bank:
•Davis seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously.

 
See also: ↑sec